• Man of the Whispers

    From the day Toyomo was brought to the temple, he had a special connection with the trees that fell along the outskirts of the temple grounds. The magnificent willow trees there tickled his face when he looked up into their seemingly endless vastness with a smile. The priests allowed his ventures as they saw no harm in the boy learning of the ancient trees.

    As Toyomo aged, he became increasingly infatuated with the willows. He could have sworn they whispered to him. Though the prospect of the talking trees frightened some people away, to Toyomo, the secrets the trees told gave him an odd source of comfort.

    He grew to love the great trees – especially the largest one – for it was the leader of them all. It held the most wondrous secrets and whispered the most glorious tales. Toyomo felt the most affection for this single tree, and the tree returned his favors with its stories.

    The night before Toyomo was to turn fifteen, a young man dressed in green finery arrived at the lonely temple. The priests welcomed the man; sensing his good intentions. He asked for a young boy, saying he heard news of his upcoming birthday. A priest called out Toyomo, who bowed dutifully at the man upon sighting him.

    He smiled and returned the bow with a slight nod and introduced himself as Noe. Toyomo lifted his head; eyes wide at the mention of his name. He’d heard it before in the drifting whispers of the willows only a few days before. Toyomo asked the man what business he had with him when Noe offered no further information.

    Noe looked down at Toyomo and smiled again. He wished him a pleasant birthday, and turned to leave. Toyomo stared at the door for quite some time before he decided he would ask the willows about this ‘Noe’. He snuck passed the priests and slipped out the door leading to the gardens. On his approach, the great willow swayed almost happily; whispering to him, asking him why he came so late into the night.

    Toyomo looked to the great willow and inquired about a man with the name of Noe. At this, the great willow fell silent, and the lesser, surrounding trees chuckled and poked fun at their leader. Toyomo, confused by the response, repeated his question. Once again, the great willow said nothing. Soon, Toyomo gave up. As he turned to leave, he heard one of the trees say, “Come back in four summers. You are still too young to help him.” Toyomo nodded and walked solemnly back to the temple.

    There he waited out the following four years. The priests worried about him; he refused to go to the trees no matter how hard they tried. Eventually, they stopped with their prodding. The day Toyomo turned nineteen, he left the temple. The gravel leading to the willows was harsh and unused. He followed the familiar sounds of their whispers until he came upon them, looked up at the great willow, and announced his return. The whispers ceased immediately; Toyomo gazed at the willows expectantly.

    The great willow stirred for a moment before it began to glow. A green energy buzzed and centered at the base. Then, without warning, the form of a man began to take shape beside the trunk. When the willow calmed, Toyomo recognized the man as Noe.

    Noe grinned on his way over to Toyomo. He bowed and lifted his eyes to meet Toyomo’s. “You have waited,” He began. “That is more than could be said for the others. I wish to ask you one more favor, that is, if you do not mind, Toyomo-kun.” Toyomo nodded his head, stunned by the absolute beauty of the man before him. “Excellent. I will have you become a spirit, as I am, and take the place of a willow near me. You may have noticed that one never spoke, for her spirit left her many years ago. She will die otherwise.” Toyomo hesitated a moment before nodding his head again. “Wonderful. I am positive you will enjoy life much more as one of us.”

    With that, Noe reached one shimmering hand behind Toyomo’s neck and brought their lips together. Toyomo felt the green energy flow throughout his being. All weight disappeared and he felt whole for the first time in his life. Nothing was missing. He opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. He could see the uneven ground through his palms.

    When he looked back up, he saw Noe standing beside the silent tree. He joined him and faced the trunk. Closing his eyes, he took a step forward into the darkness. Instantly he felt at ease. He heard Noe whisper to him from his great willow, and he answered back, “No, thank you…”

    ~Owari~